For more than 60 years, the iconic green Army tank stood guard in front of the Wisconsin National Guard armory building at 106 N. Memorial Dr. in Merrill. Last Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, the M4A3 Sherman tank - which was manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in 1943 and is believed to have taken up residence in Merrill in the 1960’s - was relocated to a new concrete pad on the grounds at the Northwoods Veterans Post between the building and Merrill Memorial Cemetery, just behind the small pond. Because it is now located a bit further from the road and passing traffic, it almost appears to have shrunk, but it is still the same tank, simply moved to a new and somewhat more picturesque home.
The armory building has seen limited use by the Wisconsin National Guard since the Merrill unit was discontinued some years ago, and the building will likely soon be sold. “As part of a national focus on modernizing Army National Guard facilities, a number of older armories like that in Merrill will be divested to allow for the renovation, expansion, or construction of fewer, more modern readiness centers better capable of supporting future National Guard missions,” said Paul D. Gorman, Deputy Chief of Public Affairs for the Wisconsin National Guard. “The divestiture of the Merrill readiness center (armory) is part of the ongoing Readiness Center Master Plan which will reduce the total number of Wisconsin Army National Guard readiness centers over the course of several decades. The plan is part of a national initiative to update Army National Guard facilities by altering or replacing aging structures with modern readiness centers designed to meet evolving National Guard missions and responsibilities.”
When local veterans Corey Dornbrack [also VFW Post 1638 Senior Vice Commander] and Norm Haskins speculated about the sale of the building more than a year ago, they initiated a process to request the tank be relocated to the Northwoods Veterans Post so that the Merrill icon could remain in the community in a place of honor where veterans and future generations could continue to appreciate it. Since the Northwoods Veterans Post is now the location for multiple veterans service organizations, and the grounds had ample space, it was the perfect location.
“The relocation of the tank was formally initiated by VFW Post 1638 through the U.S. Army’s Static Display Program, which allows for the conditional issue of condemned or obsolete Army equipment for static display purposes,” Gorman said.
First, Dornbrack had to determine who actually owned the tank. That, in itself, was quite the process he said.
Then ... “I had to write a justification letter - persuasive letter to the powers that be - as to why we wanted it [kept] in the community,” Haskins said. “We went through the channels and filled out tons of paperwork. We invited the USPFO (United States property and fiscal officer). We invited him up. We gave him a tour of the VFW. We told him the history and how I served when that tank was here. That’s where I cut my teeth - and many other members of the Northwest Veterans Post, you know? ... And then he saw the memorabilia that Corey has been so expertly been putting around inside the Post ... maintaining the history of our military heritage. So once they saw that ... they’re like, yeah, that tank needs to stay, but we got a lot of work to do.”
“John Rathke, being the Commander, had a bunch of paperwork to do,” Dornbrack said. “And without Robert Brania from the USPFO, this might have not happened. He directed us on the paperwork that had to be done, along with keeping us on the timeline, and knew the people and organizations to contact.”
Once approved, the Northwoods Veterans Post needed to contact diggers hotline, check into the necessary permits, get the GPS coordinates of where the tank was currently located and where it was to be relocated, and then prepare the location - a heavy duty concrete pad - suitable for holding the 30-ton weight of the tank.
“The community really came together,” Haskins said. Everyone wanted to keep a Merrill icon in the community, he said. “If we wouldn’t have rallied to do this, it would have ended up somewhere else.”
Donations from area businesses made the new concrete pad for the tank possible and were very willingly given, Haskins said. Donors included:
• Merrill Tool and Equipment Rental (Doug Carbone) - site excavation
• Peterson Sand & Gravel (Brandon Peterson) - sand for the site
• Gold Medal Trailer Sales (Andy Van Der Geest) - rebar
• County Materials/Sonnentag Foundation (Rebecca Sonnentag) - concrete
• Lokemoen Construction (Jason Lokemoen/Dan Stockman) - concrete form, rebar set, pouring concrete, landscaping
• Lightning Towing (Chad Oslage) - transportation of materials
Volunteers did all the work on their own time, some from the companies listed and others from the Northwoods Veterans Post and local VFW.
Wisconsin National Guard and logistics management team members visited Merrill to plan the move and then a date for the move was set.
A crew of Wisconsin National Guard Soldiers arrived at the armory building at approximately 11 a.m. on Saturday with the specialized equipment needed to relocate the tank, and though the distance for the move was just a few blocks, it took some skill and expertise, along with that equipment and a few hours’ time, to complete the move. The crew brought an Oshkosh M1070 heavy equipment transporter and M1000 trailer to transport the tank, which was designed to load, unload, and transport the M1 Series Main Battle Tank and other heavy tracked or wheeled vehicles weighing up to 140,000 lbs.
First the crew used equipment to turn the tank. Then they were able to release the brake in order to engage the tracks on the tank. Though the tank itself is no longer operational, the tank’s tracks still engaged and moved when the unit was pulled with a cable and winch system, despite being locked into place for more than half a century. This made it easier for the crew to load the tank onto the flatbed trailer for transporting to the new location, and then the system was reversed. The description makes it sound simple and easy, but it was a bit more complex than that. Some video clips of the move are available on the Merrill Foto News Facebook site at: facebook.com/merrill.fotonews.
The tank transportation operation was conducted by a team of nine Wisconsin National Guard soldiers assigned to the 1158th Transportation Company in Black River Falls. Originally constituted May 1, 1993, the 1158th Transportation Company based in Beloit and Black River Falls is currently the largest Army National Guard company in Wisconsin.
Platoon Leader, 2nd Lt. Alexis Mercado from the 1158th Transportation Company was one of those on-site for the relocation operation on Saturday to oversee the operations. Sgt. 1st Class Ty Ribovich, assistant truckmaster and readiness noncommisioned officer with the 1158th Transportation Company and Robert Brania, Logistics Management Specialist with the U.S. Property and Fiscal Office (USPFO), Wisconsin Army National Guard, were instrumental to the move.

Reminiscing and watching

Prior to and during the tank moving operation, numerous veterans gathered to watch the process and progress. Many reminisced about playing on the tank when they were children growing up in Merrill. A good number shared that they had joined the military at the Merrill armory and/or served in the Merrill unit of the Wisconsin National Guard for at least a portion of their military career. Some, like Haskins, started in the Wisconsin National Guard and then went on to join another branch. For him, it was the US Air Force, and he served a total of 22 years between the 2 branches of the military. Others, like Dornbrack, started out in the US Army in 1988 and then joined the Wisconsin National Guard afterward. His rank when he left was Sgt. 1st Class. Dave Wendorf, who was a 1st Sgt. in the Merrill unit of the Wisconsin National Guard location, working there full-time for 16 years, including six years as a reservist, was one of those who came to watch. His military career spanned 28 years and he retired as a Master Sgt. Wives of military veterans and members of the local auxiliary were also there to watch, as well as members of the community who were just curious and interested. Many took photos and videos of the tank-moving operation.
Veterans there weren’t aware of any documentation indicating when the tank was first moved to its location at the Merrill armory, but many couldn’t remember a time when it hadn’t been there. “I would love to know the history [of the tank],” Haskins said. “You know, where it originated, did it see action or not?”

Now to get it painted

Dornbrack said the next step will be fundraising to get the tank repainted in its new location, to its original World War II color. “It looks rattle-canned right now,” Dornbrack said, “with the paint peeling and everything.” It’s just been neglected, he said, and he has been trying to get that done for close to 20 years, but now the time has come.
To donate to the tank repainting project, stop at the Northwoods Veterans Post or contact Dornbrack at 715.218.3537.